Geography Test
Terms
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- glacier
- large, thick body of slowly moving ice
- erosion
- the process of wearing away or moving weathered materials on the earth's surface
- parallels
- lines used to measure degrees of latitude
- downstream
- diection in which a river or stream flows from its source to its mouth
- ecosystem
- place where plants and animals are dependent upon one another and their surroundings
- GPS - definition
- group of satellites orbiting around earth used to pinpoint absolute location
- volcano
- mountain created as liquid rock or ash erupts from inside the earth
- marine west coast climate, mediterranean climate, humid continental climate, humid subtropical climate
- four mid-latitude climate zones
- canyon
- deep and narrow valley with steep walls
- Temperate climate
- another name for mid-latitude climate
- plentiful rain, lush vegetation, diverse plant and animal life
- describe the tropical rain forest
- timberline
- the place in a highland where trees cease to grow
- sea
- large body of water completely or partly surrounded by land
- spatial terms
- this element of geography gives something's location
- wind currents, ocean currents, and people
- Besides sunlight, what are other factors that affect climate?
- Enviornment and Society
- This element states that "The environment changes people AND people also change the environment
- permafrost
- lower levels of soil that stay permanently frozen
- lichens
- fungus-like mosses
- subartic, tundra, ice cap
- three types of high latitude climates
- isthmus
- narrow stretch of land connecting two larger land areas
- GIS - definition
- special computer software that helps geographers gather info about different places
- clime
- usual, predictable pattern of weather in an area over a LONG time
- seacoast
- land lying next to a sea or ocean
- places and regions
- this element of geography explains FEATURES of a particular land
- contour maps
- maps that show elevation
- the grid system
- lines of lattitude and longitude form this - it is used to locate specific points on a globe
- hurricanes
- fierce tropical storms with strong winds and heavy rains; called typhoons in Asia
- bay
- part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally smaller than a gulf
- desert, steppe
- two types of dry climate
- 70 percent
- What percent of the earth's surface is water?
- atmosphere
- layer of air surrounding the earth
- weathering and erosion
- What are the two major forces that help shape the landforms on the earth's surface
- absolute location
- the precise spot where a line of latitude crosses a line of longitude
- source
- place where a river or stream begins, often in highlands
- human systems
- This element of geography tells how people shape the world
- dry climate
- this climate zone receives little or no rainfall
- angle of sun
- What is the major factor in climate of a region?
- tropical, mid latitude, high latitude, dry, highland
- What are the five major climate zones
- North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica
- Seven Continents
- channel
- wide strait or waterway between two landmasses that lie close to each other; deep part of a river or other waterway
- mouth
- place where a stream or river flows into a larger body of water
- The earth's seven continents were once joined together in one super-continent called Pangaea. Slowly over the course of millions of years, tectonic activity caused these landmasses to move apart
- Explain pangaea
- GIS - abbreviation stands for
- Geographic Information Systems
- artifacts
- object made by people long ago
- ocean current
- stream of either cold or warm water that moves in a definite direction through an ocean
- relief
- changes in elevation over a given area of land
- compass rose
- shows cardinal directions on a map
- ocean
- one of the four major bodies of salt water that surround the continents
- plateau
- area of flat or rolling land at a high elevation, about 300 - 3000 feet high
- earthquake
- violent and sudden movement of the earth's crust
- Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn
- Ther area between ________ and ________ is extremely warm, because of direct sunlight.
- Physical Maps
- Maps that show landforms and waterways
- delta
- flat land built up from soil carried downstream by a river and deposited at its mouth
- regions
- areas that share common characteristics
- tropical rain forest, tropical savanna
- two types of tropical climates
- Communication, political formation, transportation, population
- List some ways people shape the world
- harbor
- a sheltered place along a shoreline where ships can anchor safely
- humidity
- the amount of water vapor in the air
- global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain
- three effects of air pollution
- monsoon
- tremendous seasonal winds that can blow over a continent for months at a time
- cartographer
- someone who makes maps
- mountain
- land with steep sides that rises sharply (1000 feet or more) from surrounding land; generally larger and more rugged than a hill
- absolute and relative
- two types of location
- political maps
- Maps that show boundaries, etc.
- tagia
- huge evergreen forests that grow abundantly in the high latitude climate
- weather
- unpredictable changes in the air over a SHORT time
- cliff
- steep, high wall of rock, earth, or ice
- plain
- area of level land, usually at low elevation and covered with grasses
- fossils
- preserved remains or impressions of dead organisms
- hydrosphere
- all the earth's water
- has a distinct wet season and dry season, broad grasslands with few trees
- describe the tropical savanna
- warm
- What kind of air holds more humidity
- upstream
- direction opposite the flow of a river; toward the source
- valley
- area of lowland between hills or moutains
- high latitude climate
- cold climate zone that lies in the highest latitudes of each hemisphere
- core, mantle, crust
- what are the three layers of the earth
- thunderstorm
- short storms including lightning, thunder, and heavy rain that develop when warm, moist air meets a cold air system
- latitude
- lines that run east to west
- faults
- cracks in the earth's crust
- topsoil
- first layer of soil that is very rich in nutrients
- river
- large natural stream of water that runs through the land
- interdependence
- What is it called when countries count on one another to get the goods and services they need?
- atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere
- four basic parts of physical geography
- plate tectonics
- scientific theory that the earth's crust consists of plates that move
- island
- land area, smaller than a continent, completely surrounded by water
- longitude
- lines that are also known as meridians
- plates
- huge slabs of rock that move
- great circle route
- the shortest distance between two points on a globe
- strait
- narrow stretch of water joining two larger bodies of water
- desert
- land with very little precipitation
- highland climate
- this climate zone is characterized by high elevations, and thus has a cold climate
- tornado
- funnel shaped windstorms that reach extremely high speeds
- Arctic, Pacific, Indian, Atlantic
- Four oceans
- glaciers, groundwater, lakes, and rivers
- Where is our fresh water found?
- gulf
- part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline generally larger and more deeply indented than a bay
- weathering
- natural process that breaks up surface material into smaller pieces
- elevation
- height of land above sea level
- basin
- area of land drained by a given river and its branches; area of land surrounded by lands of higher elevation
- Tropical climate
- warm climate zone that gets its name from the region surrounding the equator
- physical systems
- this element of geography describes forces that shape the Earth's surface
- tributary
- smaller stream/river that flows into a stream/river
- lithosphere
- the earth's hard outer shell (land areas)
- biosphere
- all the living things on the earth and the environments in which they live
- Tsunami
- huge sea wave caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor
- relative location
- tells where something is in relation to other places
- geography
- the study of the earth in all its variety
- water vapor
- water in the form of a gas
- people cut down trees
- Give one brief example of how people change the environment
- trench
- valley in the ocean floor
- three
- How many layers is the earth divided into
- hurricanes, plat tectonics, volcanoes, forest fires
- List four physical systems that help shape the Earth's surface
- water, wind, and ice
- What are the three greatest causes of erosion?
- stepe
- land that consists of grasslands and prairies
- mesa
- flat-topped landform with steep sides; smaller than a plateau
- 2 percent
- What percent of the earth's water is fresh water?
- lake
- a sizable inland body of water
- GPS - abbreviation stands for
- Global Positioning System
- Center of earth
- Most of the sun's direct rays hit the ____________.